You Can’t Unsee the Assassin Bug’s Dirty Work | Deep Look

Under the bright yellow petals of a tarweed plant, an insect known as the assassin bug kills its caterpillar victim by stabbing it over and over. But does this perpetrator have an accomplice? Sticky droplets all over the plant could be a clue.

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---+ Why is an assassin bug called an assassin bug?
Likely because it impales its insect and arachnid victims with its pointy mouthparts.

---+ Is an assassin bug the same thing as a kissing bug?
No. Assassin bugs and kissing bugs are relatives, but they’re different from each other. They’re both part of a large family of insects called reduviids, known as the “assassin bug” family, hence part of the confusion. Kissing bugs and assassin bugs look similar to each other in that they have long mouthparts that they keep folded under their head when they’re not using them.

But they’re different from each other in their feeding habits. Assassin bugs, which are found around the world, live on plants and feed mainly on insects, for example, moth caterpillars and beetles and beetle larvae.

Kissing bugs make up a group of 150 species known as triatomines and found mainly in the Americas. Kissing bugs feed on the blood of humans, as well as that of many other domestic and wild mammals and birds. These insects can transmit a parasite through their feces that causes Chagas disease. The parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, may live inside the body for many years without causing health problems, but it damages the heart and digestive systems of 20% to 30% of infected people and can be deadly.

Even though its feces can make you sick, the bite of a kissing bug is usually painless, since the parasite injects chemicals so that it can feed undisturbed for several minutes. But a kissing bug’s bite can sometimes cause anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that leads to shortness of breath, shock and death, if left unattended. An assassin bug’s stab, if you’re unlucky enough to step on one or you pick one up by mistake, *will* hurt. And both assassin bug and kissing bug bites can be itchy.

---+ What are an assassin bug’s mouthparts called?
Assassin bugs’ mouthparts are often referred to as the rostrum or beak.

---+ Is there anything good about the assassin bug?
Yes! Assassin bugs can help control agricultural and garden pests.

---+ Find a transcript on KQED Science: https://www.kqed.org/science/1976834/you-cant-unsee-the-assassin-bugs-dirty-work

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